Archives for March 2015

A couple of weeks ago, I was very lucky to nab some time off work along with some flights to Panama, where I headed to for four days to meet up with a friend. Panama lies just an hour’s plane ride away from Colombia. Home to a buzzing capital and some absolutely beautiful beaches, I couldn’t wait to see what Colombia’s next door neighbor had to offer.

Hello Panama City!

Panama city itself is a real melting pot of races, and food wise this means there are cuisines from all corners of the globe. In my brief stay in the city, I munched on some New York bagels for breakfast, a traditional Panamanian plate for lunch, and enjoyed a cracking Italian pizza for dinner. Not bad for a days work!

Moving away from the city, on my second day we made a short trip to the Caribbean side of the country and headed to an island called Isla Grande. The change from the cosmopolitan city to the completely tropical Caribbean was amazing to see. Landscapes shifted from high-rise apartment blocks to completely green hillsides and a gorgeous clear sea. The food was just a spectacular as the view, something I discovered when we headed for lunch to the classic spot Restaurante Adriana, frequented by lots of surfers who head to the island. The menu was simple and consisted of the day’s freshest catches..luckily for me, this happened to include lobster. My order was not a difficult one!

Lobster is life

Langostino al ajillo (lobster in a garlic sauce) came accompanied by arroz con coco (coconut rice), a salad and the typical patacones (fried plantain rounds). Simple, fresh, and completely delicious, I devoured every last bite on my plate. The lobster was so flavorsome and had the absolutely perfect texture. I was determined to get the recipe for the ever-so-simple yet truely incredible garlic garnish, but I was told by the owner Adriana that “es un secreto” (it’s a secret). Despite being able to guess it’s main components (garlic, parsley, onion), part of me thinks no matter how hard I’d try it would never turn out half as good – probably best it stays a secret in Isla Grande!

Adriana will not share her secrets, so don’t bother asking

Leaving the Caribbean it was by no means goodbye to the beach, as the next day we set off for the Pacific side, to a beach called Playa Venao. After a long 5-hour car journey over there, it was lunchtime – again! Stopping off in the nearby town Pedasi to eat, you can guess what was on the menu, and after claiming I fancied chicken, I quickly looked around, saw the sea, and laughed at myself. Chicken in the city? Sure thing. Right next to the sea with some of the freshest fish and seafood in the country? Well…probably order yourself a fish dish then!

We went all out and even ordered a starter of almejas (clams) in broth. A really tasty dish, these clams came in a dark, salty sauce, and were the perfect thing to whet our appetite. And then came the main attraction – pulpo a la criolla, or squid in a tomato sauce.

The squid came with an option of rice, patacones, or fried yucca. I opted for the yucca, as I absolutely love the stuff. If you’ve never tried it I highly recommend you do. It’s a starchy root vegetable with an almost sweet flavor. Served like this, as chunky chips, they are divine and a great side to mop up the tomato-y sauce. Yet another successful almuerzo down, we headed off to the beach.

A few more days of sun, sea and and seafood and it was soon time to head home. I really fell in love with Panama and everything I was able to see of it. The city had a cool vibe, with lots going on, and the beaches and coast were some of the most beautiful I’ve seen. With it being so close to Colombia, I definitely want to head back at some point and explore a bit more.

Colombia is a country of contrasts. Hot Caribbean beaches, deep, dense jungles and cold, steep mountain ranges. African-influenced music such as champeta plays next to the indigenous music bambucco, with some modern day reggaeton thrown in the mix too. While these are differences to be celebrated, Colombia also possesses less desirable contrasts, such as the stark comparison between the rich and the poor.

Thankfully, there are many charities within the country working to help change the situation of millions of families who live in poverty. One such organisation is TECHO, who work to provide emergency housing for families living in sub-standard housing conditions.

I’ve already written about some of the work I have done with TECHO here, and my most recent experience was the task of feeding 80 hungry volunteers during a weekend of construction with four families in Puerto Colombia, down by the beach here in Barranquilla.

I had to provide two breakfasts and one dinner and my job involved planning the menu, managing the budget, buying the food and of course…cooking it all too! Another volunteer and I worked together to achieve this mammoth task. We came up with a menu of well-loved Colombian classics, two of which I’ll share with you all today.

The breakfast on the first day was huevos pericos served alongside bread rolls. This is a classic Colombian breakfast dish and is a quick, easy and nourishing option that is just a tad more exciting than your everyday scrambled eggs recipe.

Method1) Add in oil (and butter if using) to the pan while it heats up. Once the pan is warm, add in chopped onions and watch and stir until the start they change color.
2) Add in chopped tomatoes with a good pinch of salt. Stir around with onions for about 5 minutes, until tomatoes are looking cooked but not mushy.
3) Now crack eggs straight into the pan and mix around, and when starting to scramble turn off heat. Stir around a bit more, but don’t let them dry up – runny eggs are best!

This can be served with some chopped coriander stirred through, or sprinkled on top.

Breakfast on the second day was a very traditional dish called cayeye – boiled guineos (smaller, green plantains)mashed up with butter, salt and cheese. Added suero (a kind of sour cream) is optional, indulgent and completely recommended! Sadly, in the sheer mayhem of boiling 80 bananas and grating over 5 kilograms of cheese (all before 5:30 am this is), I forgot to take any pictures. So you’ll just have to trust me when I say this is one breakfast dish you should try!

Ingredients for Cayeye – photo credit not my own, taken from food catering company aldimark

Breakfasts done, what’s for dinner? The much-loved Colombian dish arroz con pollo (chicken and rice). Tackling such a classic dish, I did my research talking to various mums/grandmas/cleaners and cooks in order to get their top tips. Everyone has their own little tricks for making this dish, and here is a compilation of those pearls of wisdom to help you try your hand at this classic Colombian eat.

1) First cook the chicken. Place breasts in a pot with the first 3 chopped cloves of garlic, the stock cube, and cover with water until all of the chicken is submerged. Boil for about 30 minutes until the breasts are cooked through, and remove chicken to cool on a plate but reserve this chicken stock (you will use it to cook your rice).

2) Now, in the water you cooked the chicken in, you’re going to cook your rice, adding in the grated carrot for colour. Make sure there is exactly twice as much water as you have rice – if you haven’t got enough chicken-y water for your rice, add in more plain water. Likewise, if you’ve too much water, drain some out. Simple!

3) While the rice is cooking, shred your chicken breasts with two forks. Save aside, and crack on with the veg.

4) Cook onion in a separate pan until it starts to take a golden colour and then add in peppers. Add salt and spices and garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes, and then add in tomato puree. Add in shredded chicken, chopped coriander and give a good stir for about 1-2 minutes.

5) Checking your rice is nice and cooked (about 20-25 mins), it’s time to mix it all up! Add cooked chicken and veg to rice, stir it all up and taste. A bit pale looking? Try a squirt of tomato ketchup! Not feeling flavorsome enough? Add some more spices. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh coriander, and enjoy.

Arroz con pollo is a great feed-a-crowd dish, and if I managed it for 80, this recipe for four should be a breeze!

Overall, the weekend was a tough, long, but unforgettable experience. It was my third time participating in a construction with TECHO, and it never ceases to amaze me how in just two days the lives of families can be transformed so positively. So after you’ve hit the kitchen to cook up these two Colombian classics, please also take the time to read up about TECHO and the work it does across Latin America.

Until next time, where BidmeadBites takes a brief holiday away…stay tuned to find out where to!